Moonlit Mafia
by Amethyst The Gem
Summary: In a twist of fate, Atsushi ends up in the Port Mafia. (name may change). (currently under revision, this version won't be updated)
1. A twist of fate

"I don't have what it takes for this."

Atsushi stared at the path above him in despair, where several people had already walked by. He fell on his knees to the pavement, his energy fading fast.

"I've got to do something..."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another person walking, a man with a long black coat. "Alright, this time for sure..."

Atsushi pushed himself to his feet, and ran towards the cloaked individual. However, the man heard him coming, and turned sharply on his heel while Atsushi was still several feet away.

His gaze was dark and piercing, and his face was pale in a stark contrast. "What do you want?" He demanded, in a hollow, raspy voice.

Atsushi's expression became one of a timid nature, and he backed away slightly. "Well, I..." he mumbled, but before the boy could speak another word, a growling noise escaped from his midsection.

The dark-haired stranger stared down at Atsushi, and stated, "you're hungry." It wasn't a question, just simple facts.

Atsushi nodded in shame, keeping his eyes averted. "I haven't eaten since-"

"Sorry, but I'm not in the habit of feeding people for free." The stranger interrupted, turning on his heel as quickly as he had before.

"I'll work for it!" Atsushi blurted before he could stop himself. "I'll work to pay you back." For some reason, his mind was screaming "run", but his exhaustion caused him to ignore it.

"You wouldn't like my line of work." The stranger didn't even bother to look back, "I can see in your eyes, you wouldn't last a day."

Atsushi tilted his head in confusion, although doing so made him feel unsteady for a moment. _"What kind of work could he possibly..."_ The teen thought, but quickly pushed away the thought in favor of keeping up with the person in front of him. "I'm sure I could be helpful in some way!" He insisted.

At this, the stranger stopped walking, and made a small noise, not quite a laugh, and barely audible. Only moments later, he began to cough violently, and it seemed as if every reach for breath was a desperate struggle.

Concerned, Atsushi took a few steps closer. But the stranger heard him coming and waved the younger boy away with his hand. "I'm fine," He wheezed, his hand then reached towards his face, and flung away a thick, red substance.

 _"blood"_ , Atsushi realized, his worry growing quickly. "Umm..."

"It's nothing you should concern yourself with." The taller man asserted, seemingly gaining control of his breathing after a moment.

"Are you sure? Coughing up blood isn't normal..."

"I'm fine. None of your business." The man snapped, turning once more to face Atsushi.

The younger boy took a step back, his heterochromatic eyes gaining a flash of fear. The stranger looked intensely angry, one could say almost bordering on murderous. In automatic self-defense, Atsushi pulled his shoulders back, his arms drawn up to his chest.

But then, only a moment later, the stranger seemed to change his mind, and his face shifted to an expression of indifference, although Atsushi managed to catch a glimpse of what seemed to be shock, but it was gone so quickly that he dismissed it as just his imagination.

"Come with me." The man beckoned, "There's a cafe around the corner."

"But I thought you said-"

"I know what I said." The stranger interrupted, "But I've changed my mind. Just this once."

Confused by the sudden change, Atsushi felt reluctant to follow. But after a moment of mental debate, his hunger won, and he caved. "Alright." He followed beside the black-haired man, and asked, "what's your name?"

The man glanced down at Atsushi, and answered, "Ryu. Yours?" It wasn't a casual sort of question, and instead it seemed as if he was interrogating Atsushi.

"Atsushi. Nakajima Atsushi." He felt uncomfortable under Ryu's gaze, and looked away. "Thank you for helping me, Ryu-san."

Before he could answer, there came a shout behind them. Ryu visibly stiffened, and said, "let's go."

"Maybe we should go back and help?" Atsushi questioned as the yelling got louder.

"No. We're leaving." Ryu insisted firmly, guiding Atsushi away from the noise.

* * *

A few minutes later, they were seated at the cafe, and Atsushi was eating as if he were starving, mainly because he really was.

Ryu, on the other hand, was calmly eating a bowl of ramen. He didn't seem fazed at all by Atsushi's behavior. Glancing at the younger boy, he asked, not quite as interrogatively this time, "Why chazuke?"

Atsushi had ordered chazuke, tea over rice. "Because I love chazuke. I would sneak into the kitchen at night to make it."

"You're an orphan, aren't you?" Ryu watched as Atsushi turned to him with a look of surprise.

"How did you know?" Atsushi nearly dropped his chopsticks from shock.

"There were a lot of clues." Ryu shrugged, "You're out alone, with no money, starving, and you're skittish."

"Oh..." Atsushi looked down into his bowl. "Yeah, you're right. I didn't realize it would be that obvious."

"Maybe it wouldn't be to most people," Ryu responded, "It's not noticeable at a first glance after all."

"That's true." Atsushi gained a look of relief, and put down his chopsticks. "Oh man, I'm full. You really saved me there, Ryu-san." He looked down at his lap, and added, "Sorry that I can't pay you for it right now. As soon as I find a job I'll-"

"It's alright. You don't have to worry about that right now." Ryu cut in, pulling out his phone. "I might have found you a job already. My boss wants to meet you."

Atsushi managed to catch a glimpse of the screen, and saw the words "gifted", "teen", and "alone". Before he could ask what that meant, Ryu had already put the phone away, and was paying the tab. A moment later he stood and said, "Let's go."

"A...already?..." Atsushi stammered, clambering to his feet. "But I don't even have a change of clothes..."

"I have that covered. An acquaintance of mine will take you to get some clothes. You will meet back with me later."

"Alright...thank you again, Ryu-san." Atsushi bowed slightly, stepping outside the cafe. A car was parked nearby, and a blonde woman was standing by the door.

"She's over there." Ryu pointed at the blonde woman, and began walking away.

"Umm...thank you again, Ryu-san!" Atsushi called out once more, turning to head towards the car.

* * *

A/N: This is my first time writing a true AU, and I had a lot of fun with this! I'm hoping to get another chapter done soon (even though I already have way too many on my plate LOL). I'm leaving the chapter names blank for now, if anyone has any ideas for names, feel free to let me know!


	2. Trapped within

"Hop in."

The blonde woman opened the car door, and Atsushi nervously sat in the front passenger seat. The woman followed suit, getting in the driver's seat.

"Name's Higuchi. You're Atsushi-kun, right?" Higuchi glanced at Atsushi before beginning to drive down the road.

"Y...yes. Nakajima Atsushi." He nodded, uneven bangs brushing against his forehead. Several moments passed in silence, before Atsushi finally asked, "Um...Higuchi-san? What does gifted mean?"

"Gifted?" Higuchi questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I saw it on Ryu-san's phone. I'm guessing he was talking about me, because it said teen, and alone."

"You'll have to ask him about that." Higuchi responded with a shrug, turning a corner.

Unfortunately for Atsushi, it was a rather tight corner that he was unprepared for, and as such he had to grip the side of his seat to avoid hitting the glove compartment. "Alright..." he mumbled softly.

Higuchi didn't take her eyes off the road, but said to Atsushi, "I'm going to give you a word of advice. In my line of business, being soft-spoken gets you nowhere. You have to be confident, but not arrogant, alright?"

"Right." Atsushi straightened up slightly, but his hands were balled into fists by his sides, as thought it was taking all his effort and concentration to do so.

"Not like that. Relax your hands. But still keep up straight."

Atsushi tried to unclench his fists, but with it, all his willpower crumbled, and he drew back into his normal, timid posture.

"You've got to work on that." Higuchi advised, parking the car in front of a series of buildings. "Or you won't even last a day."

"Ryu-san said that too." Atsushi mentioned, getting out of the car.

"Did he now?" Higuchi questioned, opening the door to a high-end clothing shop.

A bell above the door rang, and before Atsushi could answer, a voice called out, "Ah! Higuchi-san!"

"Good evening, Shiro-san." Higuchi nodded politely, motioning towards Atsushi. "Do you have anything that would fit him?"

"Why, Higuchi-san, you don't give me enough credit! Of course I do!" The shop owner whisked Atsushi off to try on several different suits, all of which made the teen feel very uncomfortable.

Finally after about an hour of trying different outfits, Atsushi decided to just pick the one that made him feel the least uncomfortable.

As it was rung up, Atsushi's eyes went wide with despair. _"_ _15,000 yen?..."_ he thought, watching Higuchi pull out a card to pay. "We won't be needing a bag." She said, and instructed Atsushi to go change. He came back a few moments later, clutching his old clothes tightly.

"Please come back soon!" Shiro smiled, waving.

"I will." Higuchi nodded and ushered Atsushi back outside.

"Higuchi-san, I'm sorry to make you have to pay that much. I'm really not worth it."

"Nonsense." Higuchi got into her car, buckling her seatbelt and making sure Atsushi did the same before taking off down the road. "If there is any hidden potential in you, then it's definitely worth spending a little money to make sure you get a job."

Atsushi nodded meekly, and several minutes passed once again in silence.

"Um...Higuchi-san?"

"Yes?"

"What kind of job will I be doing?"

Higuchi shrugged again, and responded, "Well,it could be anything, honestly speaking. "

"What kind of job do you do?"

"Me? I'm a...production division manager, I guess you could say."

"Oh. Well then what about Ryu-san?"

"We're co-managers."

"I see. Higuchi-san? What is the name of-"

Before Atsushi could finish, the car jerked to a halt, and Higuchi motioned to the street. "We're here."

Both passengers exited the car, and Atsushi noticed Ryu standing nearby.

"Ah, senpai!" Higuchi raised a hand in greeting, and Ryu glanced over with an impartial look on his face.

Atsushi, on the other hand, had to hold back a small laugh. " _she calls him senpai even though they hold the same position?"_ aloud he said to Ryu, "Hello again Ryu-san."

"Hello." Ryu responded, and while it was not as cold as he had seemingly been with Higuchi, it was not a warm greeting either.

But Atsushi, having never received a warm greeting in his life, was admittedly not expecting to receive one now. "Do I have an interview now?" He asked, tilting his head questioningly.

Ryu nodded at the query. "Yes. My boss is waiting. Come." With that he turned and started towards a large, rather daunting looking business building.

Atsushi followed in nervous silence, unsure what to expect. Having never been a part of the business world, or much of the world at all for that matter, he felt completely dependent on Ryu to be his guide.

"You're hyperventilating." Ryu commented after a moment, giving a sort of rebuking gaze towards the silver-haired teen.

"S...sorry..." Atsushi mumbled, trying to control his breathing. "I'm...just nervous..."

"Here." Ryu reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, and handed it to Atsushi. "Breathe into this. It'll help."

Atsushi took the cloth, and mentally noted, " _it's different than the one he had before."_ he pressed the handkerchief to his mouth, and continued attempting to calm down. After a few moments, he sighed a breath of relief.

"I take it you're not a stranger to panic attacks."

"Yeah, they happen a lot. Although I've always had to suppress them as best I could."

"I see. Well you may have to learn to suppress them once more. The world can be harsh, and you won't have time to panic." Having spoken those words, the pair found themselves at a rather ornate looking elevator. Ryu pressed the up button, and a loud 'ding' sounded throughout the hallway.

After stepping inside and making sure Atsushi followed, Ryu pressed the button for the top floor.

"Ryu-san?"

"Yes?" Ryu was standing in a corner of the elevator facing Atsushi, who was against the opposite wall.

"What does gifted mean?"

"Where did you hear about that?" A flash of emotion passed over Ryu's face, confusion perhaps, if such a thing were possible.

"I saw it on your phone." Atsushi explained, "Back at the cafe."

"I...will let my boss tell you." Ryu shrugged, glancing at the elevator doors, which opened with another 'ding'.

Starting down the hallway, Atsushi noticed there were several people guarding the entry to a certain room, the one they were now heading towards. " _must be the bosses office. Makes sense for there to be guards if it's a big business, I guess."_

Once they reached the doorway, Ryu spoke to one of the guards. "Tell the boss Akutagawa is here to see him."

The guard nodded. "Yes sir."

Atsushi took in the name, making a mental note to remember it. " _that must be his last name."_

A moment later, the guard nodded towards the two. "Go ahead."

Akutagawa swept past without a word, and Atsushi followed, turning back at the last second before the door closed, and called out, "Ah, thank you!"

Inside the room, which was as ornately decorated as the door, there was a desk, several candles, and most oddly of all, a young girl drawing with crayons, her drawings depicting rather morbid scenes of stick figures with red lines through them, and terrified expressions on their faces.

"Ah, Akutagawa-kun, what have we here?" From the center of the room came a voice, and a man walked over to the desk with a small, odd smile.

Akutagawa motioned for Atsushi to move forward, and replied, "I found him by the river. He's gifted."

"I see. What is your name, boy?"

"Atsushi. Nakajima Atsushi." The teen found himself saying for the third time, feeling just as nervous as the other two times. "What does gifted mean?"

Well now, aren't you straight to the point? I like that." The boss gave a small laugh, and responded, folding his hands onto his desk, "Gifted...how do I explain it? There are people in this world who have...shall we say, supernatural powers. Each is different, and they can be used for all sorts of things."

"And I have one?" Atsushi questioned in shock.

"Apparently so." The boss acknowledged with a nod. "Akutagawa-kun? Would you like to give a demonstration?"

Akutagawa nodded wordlessly, and before Atsushi's eyes, the man's coat seemed to come alive, the dark fabric rippling and turning into points that looked as sharp as daggers. "Rashomon, my ability." He declared, and the next moment the ability vanished, returning to it's former state as a simple coat.

"Then...what is mine?" Atsushi asked, eyes wide.

"I'm not sure." Akutagawa admitted, "But I know you have one. I could feel something powerful, when we were on the riverbank."

"And that's why you helped me? Because I'm supernaturally powerful?"

"Yes." Akutagawa stated bluntly, "Is that wrong?"

"I...I suppose not..." Atsushi mumbled, feeling slightly hurt, although he couldn't quite place why.

"Well then, Atsushi-kun, before you ask any more questions," the boss interrupted, and a dark look passed over his face before he continued, "Let me just say, welcome to the Port Mafia."

* * *

A/N: for the record, I have no idea if breathing into a cloth is medically proven to help calm a panic attack, but it works for me, so I included it. Also I did switch from calling Akutagawa "Ryu" to "Akutagawa" once Atsushi heard his name, but Atsushi will continue to call him "Ryu-san", at least for now. Also also, for reference, Higuchi spent about 150 US dollars.


	3. Of the Mafia and whispered rumors

Atsushi's mouth went agape, and he took a frightened step back. _"Mafia?"_ he thought, wishing desperately that he hadn't chosen to follow Akutagawa. The teen found himself at a loss for words, and he gripped tightly the handkerchief that he had yet to return.

"I see you're struggling to come to terms with what I've told you." The boss spoke with a rather light tone, considering the atmosphere of the room. "I will give you a minute to process this if you so wish."

Atsushi turned to Akutagawa with pleading eyes. "Ryu-san, please, tell me he's joking."

Akutagawa barely even looked in Atsushi's direction, and retorted, "No, he is not."

"I didn't sign on for this!" Atsushi felt an anger he couldn't explain welling in his chest. "I didn't ask to be a part of the Mafia!"

"Be grateful you have a place to belong at all." Akutagawa frowned in disapproval, something which surprised Atsushi. "Or would you rather have died by the riverside?"

"N...no..." Atsushi admitted slowly, holding back tears at the stinging remark. "But I still didn't know I would be dragged into this!"

The boss, who had been watching with an amused expression, spoke up from his desk, "Then by all means, you are free to leave, but know that it will not be easy. People will track you down if I command it, and no place in Yokohama will be safe for you to hide."

With that grim reality settling into Atsushi's mind, he took a shaky breath, and nodded in a mute symbol of resignation. "Alright. I understand."

"Good. You will be working under Akutagawa-kun, unless I see fit to move you. Akutagawa-kun, would you be so kind as to take Atsushi-kun to his new home?"

"Yes, boss." Akutagawa turned to Atsushi and motioned towards the door. "Come."

Atsushi left without a second glance, feeling relief to finally be out of that room. He had felt as if it was slowly suffocating him, if nothing else but from the sheer terror of the revelation.

"You're hyperventilating again." Akutagawa pointed towards Atsushi's hands, and added, "Use it."

Atsushi brought the cloth to his mouth once more, although this time it took him longer to steady the rhythm of his breath back to normal. By the time he had calmed himself, they had gone from the top floor, to the ground floor.

"We will be walking." Akutagawa informed Atsushi, "It will be good for you to learn the streets."

"Alright..." from the stress of the situation, Atsushi was straight back to his timid demeanor.

"That's no good." Akutagawa stated, "There is no room for timidity in the Mafia." Not even a moment after finishing, he broke into another coughing fit, holding his hand to his mouth in an effort to suppress the noise.

"Are you alright?" Despite his current anger towards the black-haired Mafioso, Atsushi couldn't help but feel concern.

"I'm fine." Akutagawa affirmed between coughs, although each breath seemed pained.

"Why does that keep happening? Are you-"

"That's none of your business." Akutagawa cut off with a sharp glare, returning his hand to his side with a final deep breath.

Atsushi shrank back, and although he remembered what he had been told, that such an attitude was not fit for the Mafia, he couldn't help it, it had become reflex from the years he spent in the orphanage.

"Tomorrow you will begin training. For each time you become timid, there will be consequences."

Atsushi gained an expression of fear, his heart beginning to race. It was clear that Akutagawa was serious, and it terrified him. "What...what kind of training?"

"Martial arts, handling weapons, perhaps interrogation if I see that you will be proficient in it, although I doubt that. And of course finding out what your ability is and learning to control it."

"I...I can't do that." He mumbled, balling his hands into fists.

"Yes, you can. You can, and you will. Such is the way of the Mafia."

"Is there no way around it? Surely there is some other thing I could do..." Atsushi pleaded hopefully.

"No. Not unless your ability turns out to be useless in combat will I even consider keeping you from training."

 _"please let my ability be useless in combat."_ Atsushi thought desperately, despite the growing feeling in his heart that it would be a futile plea.

"We're here." Akutagawa announced, stopping in front of a large apartment building.

"It's...it's huge..." Atsushi marveled despite himself.

"Come." Akutagawa stepped into the building, not waiting for Atsushi to follow. "This complex is owned by the Port Mafia. So any rent you pay goes directly back into our accounts. The boss has already given you a room."

Atsushi nodded, making sure to keep up with Akutagawa. "Do you live here too?"

"No. I do not."

"Oh. Well where do you live then?"

"None of your business." Akutagawa seemed to favor that response, having used it several times now. "This is your room."

Atsushi watched as Akutagawa unlocked the room. "when did he get the key?" he wondered, stepping inside. It wasn't a large apartment, but it was spacious enough considering he would be living alone.

"I'll leave you some money for food, I don't care what you do with it. There's restaurants and markets, just don't spend it all tonight." From his pocket Akutagawa pulled out 20,000 yen, then turned to leave.

"Um...Ryu-san?"

"What?" Akutagawa stopped in the doorway, looking back at Atsushi.

"Um...t...thank you...for everything. I... I'm sorry I was such a brat earlier."

"Apology accepted."

* * *

An hour later, after Atsushi had taken some time to simply rest and think things over, he gathered the money Akutagawa had left, and started out the door. He brushed past a short woman with dark hair, and did a double-take. _"that's a young girl! What is a child doing here?"_

The child glanced momentarily at Atsushi, then moved on wordlessly.

Atsushi, on the other hand, was frozen in place. The girl's expression had left him unable to comprehend what had happened. _"her eyes...her whole face...she seemed...lifeless..."_

After a moment, he shook himself from his thoughts, and started once again towards the exit of the building.

About an hour later, having passed by several various restaurants, Atsushi settled on a small, quaint looking place, which he was ecstatic to find was rather inexpensive.

When asked what he would like to eat, he replied, "Chazuke please." Despite having already eaten it once, Atsushi was craving it once more.

While eating his meal, Atsushi noticed two men seated across from him, one a brunette, the other a blonde with glasses, who seemed to be quarreling almost constantly.

"Stop wasting my time!" The blonde shouted, slamming a hand onto the table.

"But Kunikida-kun, I never said you had to come find me!" The brunette remarked with a sly grin.

The blonde, now identified as Kunikida, sighed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Yes, I do. You're my partner, and you were about to leave me with all the work, yet again. When will you ever learn, you bandage-wasting device?"

With a start, Atsushi realized that the brunette did indeed have a large amount of bandages covering his body, as if he was a living mummy.

"But Kunikida-kun we've had no leads on this case! The trail has disappeared into thin air!"

"All the more reason for us to chase it, Dazai!" Kunikida raised his voice once more, "We need to find that tiger."

Although the last comment was spoken softly, Atsushi still heard it, and stiffened in shock. _"did he say tiger?"_

The brunette, Dazai, glanced over towards Atsushi, and noticed his stiff posture. "Oh dear, Kunikida-kun, you've scared that boy over there."

"That is none of my concern." Kunikida brushed off the comment, pulling open a green notebook and leafing through it.

Dazai, on the other hand, stood and made his way towards Atsushi's table. "I apologize for my partner, he didn't mean to scare you."

"N...no...it's alright..." Atsushi mumbled, although his eyes said otherwise. "Why... are you two looking for a tiger?"

"Because it's terrorizing people." Dazai stated, shrugging. "Goes from town to town, so I've been told. And not just any tiger, apparently it's a white tiger."

Atsushi dropped his chopsticks, and took a forced breath. "No way..."

"I know. A white tiger is a very rare sight."

"No, that's not it. That tiger...I've seen it."

Dazai pulled out a chair and sat down opposite Atsushi. "Really? When?"

"I...I first saw it two weeks ago. It...it's been following me...I think it's trying to kill me."

Dazai nodded, listening to Atsushi's account. "And more recently? Have you seen it at all?"

"Four days ago was the last time I saw it."

"I see. Well, we also have records of the tiger appearing four days ago. Isn't that quite a coincidence?"

Atsushi shook his head. "It's probably the same tiger. Which means I need to make sure it doesn't find me here."

"Well then, let's make things easier for both of us. Want to go tiger hunting?"

"No way!" Atsushi declined vehemently. "Why would I do that? It'd be suicide!"

"Now doesn't that make it tempting!" Dazai laughed, holding out a piece of paper. "There's a reward, by the way."

"A...a reward?"

"Yep! This much." Dazai handed the sheet to Atsushi.

"that's more than enough to pay Ryu-san back, and Higuchi-san too! I won't have to rely on them anymore..." Atsushi nodded, his face resolute. "Alright, I'll do it."

"Great!" Dazai stood, morning for Atsushi to follow. "Let's go hunt a tiger."

* * *

A/N: Akutagwa left about 200 US dollars, which I figured would be enough for Atsushi to get by for at least a few days food-wise. The reward that Dazai mentions is never noted to have any particular amount (although it is assumed to be quite high). Also, in the next chapter, I will have Dazai refer to Atsushi by name, even though he didn't ask for Atsushi's name in this chapter, he said it "off-screen" per se.

Also, I haven't named any chapters yet. I'm hoping to come up with chapter names soon, but if anyone has an idea for one, I'll take them into consideration!


	4. To catch a tiger

Some time later, Atsushi found himself seated in a vacant warehouse, atop a large wooden crate. Dazai was sitting on one a few feet away.

"Dazai-san?"

"Hmm?" Dazai mumbled somewhat absent-mindedly, turning a page in a book, despite it being too dark to read properly.

"Are you sure the tiger will come here? I've only ever seen it out in the open."

Dazai glanced at the teen, then went back to reading. "I'm certain. There is absolutely no way it won't follow you here."

Atsushi couldn't help but be impressed by Dazai's confidence, and it made him feel bad for doubting his own. "How do you know for sure?"

"Atsushi-kun, there are things in this world that you will learn to pick up on. Especially if you're in my line of business."

"What are you anyways? Some kind of police officer?"

"Not quite." Dazai laughed, "I'm a detective. Have you heard of the Armed Detective Agency?"

Atsushi nodded, and his heart rate sped up once more. "They protect Yokohama, and are said to have great supernatural powers."

"Yep, that's us! Although I suppose protect is giving us a little too much credit. We mainly investigate murder scenes."

"That's...really amazing. You're so confident, Dazai-san. I...I'm not. Someone like me doesn't deserve to even be talking to someone like you."

Dazai closed his book with a loud 'thump'. "Atsushi-kun, stop right there. Who put that lie in your head?"

"It's...it's not a lie..." Atsushi mumbled softly, shaking his head.

"No, it is a lie. Who told you that?"

"The...the headmaster of the orphanage where I lived." He admitted slowly, eyes filling with tears.

"Ah, I see." Dazai stood and pulled his crate a little closer, so as to be where Atsushi could see him better. "Let me guess, you were the one everyone singled out as weak. You received the brunt of punishment, told it was all for your own well-being. They fed these lies to you, to the point where now you believe you're not worth anything. Am I correct?"

Atsushi stared in amazement as Dazai correctly guessed his entire life. "How..."

"Like I said, Atsushi-kun, there are things that you'll learn to pick up on. I'm no stranger to orphans, nor am I a stranger to inferiority complexes. And you are the walking definition of both."

 _"he's the second person to figure out something about me that no-one else would. He's just like Ryu-san...but much kinder."_ Atsushi thought, pulling his knees to his chest and hugging them tightly. "You're right. But it's not a lie. I don't deserve to be here."

"Yes, you do. Trying to convince me otherwise will be a waste of time."

 _"It's a good thing Ryu-san's not here. He'd be telling me to stop showing weakness..."_ With that thought, Atsushi felt a wave of horror crashing over him. _"_ _No...oh no...I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be helping him. I can't let Ryu-san find out..."_

"Atsushi-kun, are you alright?" Dazai's dark eyes bored into Atsushi's light ones, and he tilted his head in questioning.

"Y...yes...I'm fine." Atsushi knew that Dazai would see right through him, but still tried to put up a front anyways.

"Something is bothering you. You're an open book, Atsushi-kun. That can be both good and bad. Now, what's wrong?"

Atsushi shook his head, clenching his fists tightly together around his legs. "I can't tell you. I'm sorry, Dazai-san."

"You're scared. Not of the orphanage...not of the tiger either. Now what could it be?"

"Dazai-san, please. Don't try to guess." Atsushi mumbled, ducking his head so that Dazai couldn't see the fear on his face.

"Why not? You're that scared of someone?"

"Dazai-san, please, it's not something you can do anything about. It's my problem, not yours." Atsushi didn't lift his head, so the words came out muffled. _"_ _If Ryu-san finds out that I'm working with Dazai-san, he'll punish me for sure. Or he'll track down Dazai-san. I won't let him get hurt for my mistake."_

"Atsushi-kun, if there is someone who is scaring you that much, I can help, you know. The Agency has helped people get out of plenty of dangerous situations before."

"No, I'm fine!" Atsushi insisted, "I don't need any help. Please, Dazai-san, just forget about it."

Dazai sighed, shaking his head. His short brown locks ruffled with each movement. "I don't like the thought of that."

 _"Why won't he stop? I'm not worth it! I'm not worth the chance of him getting hurt!"_ Atsushi finally lifted his head, and spoke aloud, "At this point I'm better off being eaten by the tiger. I won't be in anyone's way...…"

"While I understand that sentiment, Atsushi-kun, I'm afraid that may not be possible."

Atsushi tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well..." Dazai stopped, and motioned a hand towards Atsushi. "You'll see in a moment."

Just then, light poured into the warehouse, and Atsushi began to scream in pain. In moments, where Atsushi had stood, there was suddenly a majestic white tiger.

"I knew it." Dazai whistled in awe at the sight of the tiger.

Unfortunately, Atsushi seemed to have no control over the ability. He began to rampage, heading towards Dazai at an alarming rate.

"Well now, I'm guessing you don't have any control of your ability. Poor Atsushi-kun."

Dazai moved back quickly to dodge Atsushi's attack, watching as the tiger tore apart wooden crates as if they were paper.

"And while being eaten by a beast would not be a bad way to go..."

Dazai slid to a stop, his foot hitting the warehouse wall.

"You can't kill me, I'm afraid."

He held out his hand, and the tiger lunged. The moment that the tiger came in contact with Dazai's hand, there was a flash of light, and Atsushi reverted back to human form, crashing into Dazai, exhausted.

"Atsushi-kun, are you alright?" Dazai dropped to the ground, propping Atsushi against the wall.

"Hmmmm?..." Barely coherent, Atsushi slumped to lean on Dazai's shoulder.

"Atsushi-kun, wake up." Dazai gently shook the teen's shoulders, and watched his heterochromatic eyes open with a start.

"Dazai-san! What happened? Why...why are we over here?..."

"You don't remember, do you?" Dazai asked, already knowing the answer.

"Remember what? Dazai-san, what happened?"

"Atsushi-kun. You're the tiger." Dazai announced, "You're an ability user."

"I...I am the tiger? Then..." Atsushi began to panic, but internalized it as best he could, so Dazai hopefully wouldn't notice. " _I can't tell Ryu-san about this. He'll force me to train and control the tiger. I can't go back. But if I don't then the boss will send people to drag me back, or kill me..."_

"Then what?" Dazai prodded, waiting for Atsushi to finish his sentence.

"Then that makes sense. Why it followed me. It was me the whole time." Atsushi laughed from the irony of the situation, although he was still desperately trying to figure out how to escape the situation he had found himself in. " _There's no way out. If I go back, I'll suffer, if I run away, I'll die. Oh, why did I have to agree to all this?"_

"Atsushi-kun, I know this is a big shock. But the Agency can help. If you come join us, you can learn to control-"

"No!" Atsushi pushed away from Dazai, "I'll be fine on my own. No-one needs to worry about me. I'm...I'm not worth it. I'll just put you in danger..."

"I'm used to that, Atsushi-kun. I've been in danger for a long time, but it's never stopped me." Dazai laughed, but there was a twinge of darkness that Atsushi couldn't quite place.

"But still, I don't...I don't want your help. Please, just forget that I even exist." Atsushi begged, pushing himself to his feet and making his way to the door of the warehouse.

"Atsushi-kun!" Dazai stood as well, reaching out to the teen and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Please, Dazai-san, just let me go!" Atsushi shook him off roughly, running off into the night before Dazai could say another word.

* * *

After a good while of running, Atsushi found himself passing the restaurant that he had been in earlier.

 _"What was I thinking?! I'm such an idiot! I can't get involved with the outside world now!"_ Atsushi berated himself mentally, stumbling through crowds of people, barely even paying attention to where he was going.

"Hey, watch it kid!" A stranger shouted, as Atsushi brushed past.

"Ah, sorry!" Atsushi called backwards, not stopping for even a moment.

 _"I have to get back, I have to make sure Dazai-san can't find me. If he follows me back to my apartment, it'll all be over. Ryu-san will hurt him, and me."_

Atsushi glanced over his shoulder, and saw that there was no sign of Dazai following him.

 _"I'm almost there.; Atsushi thought in relief, ;I won't tell Ryu-san about Dazai-san, or about the tiger. I'll keep it from him as long as I can."_

Finally, Atsushi saw the front of the apartment building, and began to relax slightly. " _I made it."_

He slowed his pace to a normal speed, and walked into the apartment building, reaching into his pocket and clutching his room key.

In the elevator, Atsushi was alone, and he leaned against the wall in exhaustion. _"_ _I can't do this..."_ He thought, dreading the coming morning.

Moments later, Atsushi was in his room, and laid across his bed. Despite his best attempts to stay up and formulate some sort of a plan, fatigue overtook him, and he fell asleep within a matter of minutes.

* * *

A/N: I know I essentially copied the manga in regards to Dazai fighting the tiger, but I tried to make the rest of it different. Also, just as a little teaser, it's all about to go downhill in the coming chapters. (I'm so mean to our poor cinnamon roll, he doesn't deserve it).


	5. Chapter 5

"Nakajima! Nakajima!"

Atsushi woke with a start, his eyes blurry. He could barely make out the form of a man standing over his bed. "Ryu-san?" He asked, pulling a hand up to his face to wipe away the sleepy feeling.

"Get up. Your training starts now." Akutagawa stated, moving back to allow Atsushi to stand.

Atsushi pulled off the covers, and groaned slightly. The energy he had spent the previous night had been a considerable amount, leaving the teen tired and sluggish. "Ryu-san, can't my training wait? I haven't even been here a whole day..."

"No. This is not your choice anymore. You will do as I say." Akutagawa said with an air of finality.

"Y...yes...Ryu-san." Atsushi lowered his head, earning him a prompt smack from his new superior.

"What did I tell you about timidity?"

"That it has no place in the Mafia." Atsushi rubbed his stinging cheek, and recited the words as if they were his own personal mantra.

"Good. You would do well to remember that in the future." Akutagawa turned to leave the room, giving Atsushi time to collect his thoughts for a moment.

Unfortunately for Atsushi, after the incident with the tiger, he had not stopped long enough to buy any sort of groceries, and as such, his cupboards were completely bare. _"I guess I'll have to buy breakfast at a cafe."_ He thought, following Akutagawa a moment later.

"Am I correct in assuming you have never handled a weapon?" Akutagawa asked after a few minutes of walking in silence.

"What?! No!" Atsushi exclaimed in shock. "I...I've never..."

"We will have to change that."

"But Ryu-san, you don't carry a weapon!" Atsushi argued, his heart pounding.

"You don't know that. It could be hidden in my coat."

Atsushi glanced over to Akutagawa, searching for any visible signs of a weapon. _"That's true, his coat could be hiding one."_

"Besides, my ability makes it to where I don't need one."

"Yeah, that makes sense." Atsushi admitted, "Since it's a weapon of sorts itself."

"And regardless of what your ability turns out to be, you will still need to learn to handle a weapon.

"Y...yes...Ryu-san..." Atsushi realized too late his mistake, and his eyes widened in terror. _"he wouldn't...he wouldn't hit me, not out here with people watching..."_

Akutagawa noticed the fear in Atsushi's eyes, and said, "Relax. I'm not going to hit you. But don't think that I will forget this. You will go without breakfast today instead."

Atsushi nodded mutely, straightening as best he could. _"Stop being timid!"_ He reminded himself, _"You'll only make things worse."_

"Ryu-san? How did you learn about your ability?"

Akutagawa was silent for a moment, then responded, "That's none of your business."

 _"Is he ever going to tell me anything?"_ Atsushi pondered over the thought for a while, until Akutagawa stopped walking.

"Although there was much pain involved. And there may be for you as well."

 _"Should I just tell him?"_ Atsushi toyed with the thought for a moment, wavering back and forth. _"If I tell him, I won't have to suffer through unnecessary pain. But if I do, I'll also have to learn to control it, and it might be just as painful...But if I don't..."_ Atsushi finally decided resolutely, _"I won't tell him. I told myself last night that I wouldn't. Besides, it could put Dazai-san in danger."_

"Now, your training begins."

Atsushi glanced down the street, desperately wishing he could break away and run. _"No, he'd kill me."_ The teen nodded, and took steps towards what he knew would be his inevitable death.

* * *

"No! You're still too weak!"

Atsushi dropped one knee to the floor, panting in exhaustion. He had been sparring with Akutagawa for over an hour, taking quite a beating. "Please, can't we stop?" Once Atsushi had been taught the basics, Akutagawa had pressed him relentlessly.

"No. Weakness means death in the Mafia. You must learn that." Akutagawa's face held no emotion, and he advanced on his pupil once again.

"But Ryu-san!" Atsushi dodged a punch, only to be kneed in the gut.

"Begging will get you nowhere! Get up!"

Atsushi breathed heavily, sweat pouring down his face. "Ryu-san..." Following orders, Atsushi pulled himself up, his face twisted with pain.

"Until you are able to defend yourself, this is what you must endure, Nakajima!" Akutagawa took a step forward, and Atsushi cowered in anticipation of the coming attack.

But it never came. Instead, Akutagawa had adopted an expression of surprise. "Well now, this is interesting."

Atsushi felt a surge of fear, looking down at his hands to find that they had been replaced with tiger paws. _"no...no...this can't be happening!"_ he took a step back, his mind searching desperately for a way out. _"I thought I could suppress it!"_

"I see. So you are the one..."

Atsushi tilted his head in confusion, and he wondered, _"I'm the one what? Did he already know?"_

"Reverse it." Akutagawa commanded, morning towards Atsushi. "Reverse the transformation."

Atsushi shook his head, and spoke barely above a whisper, "I don't know how."

"Then figure it out!" Behind Akutagawa, Rashomon flared threateningly.

"Y...yes...Ryu-san..." Atsushi mumbled, and braced for the impact he knew would be coming as a result of his demeanor.

But rather than punch Atsushi, Akutagawa hadn't moved from his spot. Instead, Rashomon had snaked its way around Atsushi, holding the teen in a death-grip.

"Ryu-san!?" Atsushi struggled against the dark ability, his breath coming out in short, irregular bursts. "Please, let me go!"

"Not until you can undo your ability." Akutagawa crossed his arms, showing no sympathy for his panicking subordinate.

Atsushi forced himself to breath normally, closing his eyes in concentration. Rashomon was still wound tightly around him, and even though his arms were free, he could do nothing to release the rest of his body. _"OK, just concentrate. Just...make it go away. It should be simple. Like how Ryu-san controls Rashomon..."_ However, when he tried to imagine forcefully reversing the transformation, bursts of pain shot down his arms.

Akutagawa watched with a blank expression as Atsushi screamed in agony. "I warned you there would be pain, Nakajima. You have no-one to blame."

"Ryu-san! Please! It hurts!" Atsushi forced back tears, silently willing his ability to receed, but in vain.

"If you could learn to control it, the pain would subside."

Atsushi thrashed in an attempt to break free of Rashomon, but it simply tightened with each movement. "Ryu-san, please, help me!"

"You're making this harder on yourself. Stop struggling." Akutagawa pulled Atsushi closer to him with Rashomon. He reached into his coat, and from where, Atsushi couldn't quite tell, drew a pistol. "I didn't want to have to use this."

Atsushi felt his heart stop, and he stopped resisting, paralyzed with fear. _"he wouldn't...he won't use it!"_

"This, Nakajima, is your own fault."

Akutagawa pulled the trigger, and Atsushi flinched, clenching his teeth and preparing for the pain of the bullet.

A few moments passed without pain, and Atsushi tentatively opened his eyes. "How..."

"My ability, Rashomon, is not just a weapon. It can be used as a shield." Akutagawa pointed towards the bullet, which had fallen to the floor. "It caught the bullet before it ever reached you."

"Then...you weren't going to kill me?" Atsushi felt immense relief, and found a tear streaming down his face from the shock.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. But the results were as I expected they would be."

Atsushi glanced quizzically at his superior, who simply motioned towards Atsushi's hands.

"My...my ability. It's gone."

"It seems that fear controls your ability, at least partially." Akutagawa released Rashomon, and Atsushi fell to the floor.

"You're...you're not going to do this every day, are you Ryu-san?" Atsushi began to shake, his emotions ranging from terrified to overjoyed.

"That depends on whether or not you can learn to control your ability." Akutagawa made no move to offer any comfort towards the teen, and simply replaced the pistol without another word, then turned away from Atsushi.

"Wait, Ryu-san!" Atsushi pulled himself up, although his entire body protested in agony. "Where are you going?"

"To report this to the boss. Come."

Atsushi clenched his fists, mentally preparing himself for the journey back to that stifling room. "Alright." He followed behind Akutagawa, wishing for near the hundredth time that he had never accepted the offer of the dark-clad Mafioso.

* * *

A/N: I warned y'all it would go downhill soon. The poor sushi-roll doesn't deserve it. And it's not going to get any better.

I've named the chapters up til this one, but I'll definitely take suggestions for any future chapter names! Also if you take the time to read these author notes, and you like this fanfic, please let me know! Any critique, any comments positive or negative, will keep me motivated to keep writing.


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